EGCO CALLS FOR LESS DEPENDENCE ON NATURAL GAS

       Thailand should not rely too heavily on natural gas for electricity generation to avoid putting national power security at risk, an energy producer said.
       Vinit Tangnoi, president of major private producer Electricity Generating (Egco), said the country should strive for the right balance between natural gas and other sources such as coal in generating the electricity.
       According to the Energy Ministry's information, 70 per cent of the 148,790 gigawatt hours of electricity the country produced last year was generated using natural gas.
       Of the remainder, 20 per cent was generated by coal, 5 per cent by hydro power, 2 pe rcent by imported fuel, 2 per cent by renewable energy and 1 per cent by other fuel.
       Vinit's remarks came in response to recent disruptions in gas supply.
       The Energy Ministry reported to the Cabinet last week three instances at the gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand and Burma, which had failed to supply gas to Thailand from August 13 to 18.
       The gas-transmission system at A18 field in the Thailand-Malaysia Join Development Area was shut down temporarily for maintenance from August 9 to 19, prompting a drop in gas supply to Thailand from the normal level of 400 million cubic feet per day. The system resumed normal operations on August 19.
       There was also a leakage of condensate pipelies in the Bongkoch field in the Gulf of Thailand, prompting a temporary shutdown for inspections. The system has since resumed normal operations.
       Also, the Yadana gas field in Burma, which supplies gas to the Kingdom, experienced a technical glitch, prompting a temporary shutdown on August 15. The system has resumed normal operations.
       The three instances had prompted the coal-fired power plant of BLCP, in which Egco holds 50 per cent, to run at full capacity to make up for the losses in power output.
       Due to the three incidents, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand decided to release water from the Srinakarin Dam in Kanchanaburi province in the last two weeks to generate power and avoid a blackout in western Thailand.
       This resulted in flooding and the agency said it would take responsibility for the damage.
       Earlier, Egat also had expressed concern over the country's heeavy dependence on natural gas in the electricity production.

       Seventy per cent of the electricity the country produced last year was generated using natural gas, 20 per cent by coal, 5 per cent by hydro power, 2 per cent by imported fuel, 2 per cent by renewable energy and 1 per cent by other fuel.